Canopy luminaire assemblies are used in many areas, such as for gas stations, restaurant drive-through windows, and other areas where over-head lighting is desirable. Such assemblies generally require control gear, such as ballast, capacitors, and starters, to regulate the lighting. A housing is used to hold and protect the control gear as well as the light source, and is generally mounted to the support structure.
To mount existing luminaires, an opening must be made in the canopy in which the luminaire is to be mounted. The opening must be sized to receive the housing. The luminaire is mounted to the horizontal portion of the support structure. Cutting an opening and installing the luminaire are labor intensive, which may require a number of electricians and tools, resulting in high costs for installation.
Current designs have the ballast located within the housing with other components of the luminaire, including the light source. As a result, the operation temperature of the ballast and the control gear is increased due to exposure to the light source. The useful life of the components is reduced, and the components must be replaced more often. This replacement would be expensive due to the high installation costs.
Another feature of existing luminaires is that the light source is often mounted within the mounting structure. This feature has the drawback that half of the light from the light source emanates upward, thereby degrading the amount of light from the luminaire. Although reflectors may be used to deflect some of the light emanating upward, a large portion of the light from the light source is lost.
Another drawback is that it is difficult to replace the light source in existing luminaires. The lens is generally connect by fasteners, such as screws or bolts. Thus, to change the light source, an individual must use a ladder to change the light source. While on the ladder, an individual must undue the fasteners, release the lens, replace the light source, and refasten the lens. This process can be cumbersome and time consuming.
These and other drawbacks exist.